\^^\xAAjuMjJ^hA->' 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 



HISTORY 



By John Rundle 

Superintendent of Schools, Grenada, Mississippi 

Father Marquette, descended the Mississippi 
River as far as the Arkansas. Nine years 
At the time the white man first rrod the later the explorer La Salle sailed down the 
soil of what is now the state of Mississippi, Mississippi to its mouth, passing by the 
the land was inhabited by three powerful greater part of the western border of our 
tribes of Indians. The Natchez Indians state. He took possession of the adjacent 
occupied the southwest section, theChoctaws country for King Louis XIV' of France and 
the southeast and central part, and the called it Louisiana. 

Chickasaws the north, i 1 The first European col- 
Minor tribes living in the ""V .^^•■'•'' sorted in 1699 
• • 1 1 1 „! „ k bv Pierre Lemoyne, better 
territorv included the | >' c- imi n 

-. , .^ . ., , I known as Sieur d llierville, 

\ azoos in the ^ azoo V al- ,^ j.-„„ Maurepas, located 

ley, and the Pascagou- „n the north side of Biloxi 

las and the Biloxis who Bay. This was the first 

dwelt along the banks of ^^hin- settlement made in 

the Mississippi River. the territory now embraced 

.,,, , ■ r M- ■ in Mississippi. 1 he lollow- 

1 he history ot Missis- lu 11 j j 

ing vear Iberville ascended 

sippi tails into several V -\ the Mississippi to the pres- 

divisions, comprising the *T^^ '^"^ ^^^^' "'^ Natchez. Fort 

periods of exploration, T|[ M Rosalie was started at that 

French rule, English rule, * '- 1 PP'"t ^ little later by Bien- 

.' 1 I ,1 . , .: ^k I ville, the governor of Lou- 

Spanish rule, the tern- ^^ ^ . . ^^,. , ,,. • • 

. , ■ I I 1 I ..^^^^^^m. isiana, ot which Mississippi 

tonal period, and the ^^^^ ^^.^^ ^^en a part. The fort 

period of statehood. flHHL was completed in 1716. A 

In December, 1540. .^^^J^^^T^ settlement, which was called 

Hernando de Soto with . W-k, ^ — ^^ ^t- Peter's, was also made 

a body of Spanish ad ven- I ^ J B^ m 1703 on the Yazoo River 

^^■■■■■■■■^^^■■^■■^^^■i 1 he 

turers the ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H 

ent state of Mississippi Mississippi State Memorial, National Military Orleans, founded soon after, 
near the junction of the Park, Vicksburg drew off a large portion of 

Tombigbee and Black ' ' the colonists. 

Warrior rivers. He crossed the Pearl River 1" i7f'3 France ceded to Great Britain all her 

1 ^ ■ Ti/^ . j^j-.u territory east of the Mississippi River except New 

in what IS now Lake County, and entered the <-,,•,,• r l r 

... ... r /^i I 111 f ■ Orleans, including most of the present state ot 

Indian village of Chickasaw, which he forti- Mississippi. At the same time Spain ceded to 

tied as winter (]uarters. These explorers Great Britain the Kloridas, including the southern 

made no settlements. Thev crossed the Mis- part of our state. During the twenty years of 

sissippi River in 1541, and" the death of the •^"gl'^^^ '■"•^' ^''"^. '76; to 1783, there was con- 

, , . 1 1 ■ 1- • siderable immigration from l^ngland and Ireland. 

leader in I q42 put an end to the expedition. , f ^^ ■ c ..,l n-.. 1;,,.. ir, r-,a, 

->^ t^ f ;,,,(j from tieorgia and south Carolina. In 1703, 

In 1673 a French expedition from New ^^-hen the United States became independent, 
France, now Canada, under Louis Joliet and Great Britain ceded the Floridas back to Spain. 

CopyriRht. iq2o. by Amwican Book Company 




CU610172 



^^B -8 1921 



•'^/^^ \ 



•«:• 



IV 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 




National Military Park, Vicksburg 



For a time Spain claimed most of Mississippi as 
part of the Floridas, but in 1795 she accepted the 
parallel of 31° as the boundary- 

In 1798 Congress organized, from lands 
claimed by Georgia, the Mississippi Territory, 
which at that time included less than half of 
the present states of Alabama and Mississippi. 

The boundaries of Mississippi Territory were 
the Mississippi River on the west, the 31st parallel 
on the south, the Chattahoochee on the east, and a 
line drawn from the mouth of the Yazoo due east 
on the north. In 1804, after cessions by Georgia 
and South Carolina, extensive lands south of Ten- 
nessee were attached to the Mississippi Territory, 
which thus comprised the whole of what are now 
the states of Alabama and Mississippi from the 
31st. to the 35th parallel. The part of those 
states south of 31° was added in 1812. 

In March, 1817, Alabama was separated 
from Mississippi and organized under a 
territorial government of its own ; and in 
December of the same year Mississippi was 
admitted into the Union as a state. Wash- 
ington, six miles east of Natchez, was the first 
capital. Jackson became the capital in 1822. 
The first state governor was David Holmes. 

The growth of the state in population was from 
the first very rapid, and its citizens always exerted 
a large influence in national affairs. Mississippi 
was the second state to pass an ordinance of 
secession, the state convention taking that action 
January 9, 1861. During the long Civil War. 
Mississippi regiments were found on every battle- 



field from Manassas to 
Appomatto.x Court House. 
Many important engage- 
ments occurred in Missis- 
sippi, the most noted of 
which were Corinth, luka, 
Holly Springs, Chickasaw 
Bayou, Raymond, Jackson, 
and Baker's Creek. The 
siege of Vicksburg ranks 
among the great historical 
events. In 1865 the ordi- 
nance of secession was re- 
pealed and slavery abolished. 
Congress refused to recog- 
nize the state, which suffered 
much during the reconstruction period. In 1876 
the Federal troops were withdrawn and since that 
time the state has made continuous advancement. 
During the World War, 1917-1918, Mississippi 
gave generously of her sons and her resources in 
support of the American cause. 

Questions and Exercises. — i. By whom was 
Mississippi occupied before the coming of the 
white man f 2. Name the periods into which 
the history of Mississippi is divided. 3. Give 
an account of De Soto's explorations in this state. 
4. Name the French explorers who visited this 
territory. t;. Who made the first settlement in 



th 



IS state ] 



Whe 



When 



6. Give an 



account of the period of English rule. 7. How 
long did the Spanish rule last ? 8. When was 
Mississippi organized as a territory ? What were 
its boundaries at that time ? What other lands 
were added in 1804? q. When was Alabama 
separated from Mississippi .? When was Missis- 
sippi admitted to the Union as a state? 
ID. What was the first capital ? Who was the 
first governor? 11. Give an account of condi- 
tions in Mississippi during the Civil War. 12. 
What did Mississippi contribute to the World War ? 

POSITION, FORM, AND SIZE 

Mississippi, one of the group of South 
Central States, occupies a central position 
among the states that border on the Gulf 
of Mexico. The northern boundary follows 
the parallel of 35 degrees north latitude 
between the Mississippi and Tennessee rivers, 
separating the state from Tennessee. The 
Tennessee River on the northeast and the 



GEOGRAPHY' OF MISSISSIPPI 



HCJtLt Of MILtt 











N..» OrW"> 



\^ -Y 



.V K X ICO 



The natural regions of Mississippi 



nearly straij^lu eastcin buundary form the 
Mississippi-Alabama state line. Tlie Gulf 
of Mexico and parallel 3 1 degrees, between 
the Mississippi and Pearl rivers, form the 
southern boundary. On the west the Mis- 
sissippi River separates the state from Arkan- 
sas and Louisiana ; the part of the western 
boundarj' south of parallel 31 degrees is 
formed by the Pearl River. Witii the excep- 
tion of the southeastern extension of the state 
south of parallel 31 degrees, and the meander- 
ing course of the Mississippi River, Mississippi 
has a rather regular form, with an extreme 
width of 188 miles and an extreme length of 
330 miles. The state has a total area of 
46,865 square miles, of which 503 square 
miles are water surface. Mississippi ranks 



as the thirty-first state of the Union in size. 
It is larger than Pennsylvania and some- 
what smaller than Louisiana. It is one sixth 
the size of Texas and about 38 times the 
size of Rhode Island. 

Questions and Exercises. — 1. What position 
has Mississippi among the states that border the 
Ciulf of Mexito .? 2. What parallel marks the 
northern boundary ? 3. What state borders 
on the north ? 4. What river forms part of the 
Mississippi-.'Mabania state line.' 5. What gulf 
and parallel are on the south ? 6. What rivers 
are on the west .' 7. What are the dimensions 
of the state east and west, and north and south, 
respectively ? 8. How does Mississippi rank 
in size with other states of the Union ? 9. What 
is its total area in square miles.' 

SURFACE 

The surface of Mississippi lies almost 
entirely within the region of the Coastal or 
Gulf Plain, the exception being a small area 
in the northeastern corner of the state 
occupied by the Tennessee River Hills, which 
are foothills of the Cumberland Plateau. 
The Coastal Plain comprises eight well- 
defined physical divisions. Six of these lie 
in belts roughly parallel with the edge of the 
plateau and in the following order from 
northeast to southwest: (i) the Northeast 
Timber Belt, (2) the Northeast Prairie 
Region, (3) the North Central Upland, 
(4) the Central Prairie Belt, (5) the Long 
Leaf Pine Hills, (6) the Coast Belt and Coast 
Islands. These belts are bounded along 
the western side of the state by (7) the 
Mississippi River Bluffs and (8) the Yazoo 
Basin. 

Tennessee River Hills. — The Tennessee 
River Hills extend over portions of Tish- 
omingo and Itawamba counties, and consist 
of limestones and sandstones which are very 
old and have been dry land much longer than 
the Gulf Plain. They are drained by the 
Tennessee River on the east, and become 
gradually lower toward the west until they 
merge with the Gulf Plain. The region 



VI 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 



f* • *" 







HI iiiiM mil— 'iliiMiiii 

Northwest Prairie Region. Harvesting alfalfa 



physical features of the state. In 
places the limestone has been dis- 
solved, forming caves and chan- 
nels for underground streams. In 
Union County the hill tops appear 
as bare, rounded "knobs." The 
rich soil of this region is adapted 
to the growth of grain, grasses, 
and cotton. 

Parallel with the northern part 
of the Pontotoc Divide and west 
of the southern part of the Black 
Prairie is a narrow belt of level, 
clayey land called the Flatwoods. 
There the soil is inferior and the 
timber of little value. 



abounds in springs, and the uplands were 
originally heavily forested. Some of the 
most picturesque scenery in the state is 
found where Bear Creek has cut its channel 
through the sandstone, forming rapids and 
high clifFs. 

Northeast Timber Belt. — Extending west 
and soutli from the Tennessee River Hills is 
the comparatively level Northeast Timber 
Belt. When the Tennessee River Hills were 
dry land, the rest of the state was under 
water. The streams flowing from the hills 
carried much soil-forming material, which 
was deposited near the shore. The clays and 
sands of these formations have produced a 
sandy loam soil. 

Northeast Prairie Region. — In a belt 
■from lo to 26 miles wide and 100 miles long, 
lying west of the Tombigbee River, a soft 
chalky limestone has weathered into a deep, 
rich, dark soil. This region has a smooth 
surface and is known in Mississippi and 
Alabama as the Black Prairie Belt. It is one 
of the best farming regions in the South. 
The western boundary of the Black Prairie 
is clearly defined by the Pontotoc Divide, a 
long meandering ridge, 100 feet or more in 
height, which extends from Tennessee to and 
across the Alabama border. 

The Pontotoc Divide forms the watershed 
between the Mississippi, Pearl, and Tombigbee 
river basins and is one of the most interesting 



North Central Upland. — In the north 
central part of the state the upland slopes 
gently westward from the Pontotoc Divide 
on the east to the bluffs bordering the Yazoo 
Delta, and southward to the Central Prairie. 
This region occupies a large area and has a 
great variety of surface features. The greater 
part is known as the Short Leaf Pine Hills, 
and is deeply covered with orange-colored 
sand. Along the western border of the 
plateau are bluffs that descend abruptly 
to the Yazoo Basin, lying 200 feet or more 
below. This difference in elevation between 
the two regions has caused the streams of the 
plateau to cut deep and narrow valleys. The 
greatest elevations in the state are on the 




The Long Leaf Pine Hills Region. Assorting and 
packing carrots for shipment 



GEOGRAPHY OK MISSISSIPPI 



vu 




The Mississipp. 



Mattress built to protect the banks of the 
Mississippi River from erosion 



and other naval stores are 
among the important products 
of the timber belt. 

The Coast Belt and Coast 
Islands. — The Coast Belt lies 
between the Long Leaf Pine 
Hills and Mississippi Sound. 
Parallel to the shore are many 
long wind-formed ridges, or 
sand dunes, which are broken 
by streams flowing to the Gulf, 
fhe soil is generally sandy, with 
some alluvial deposits in the 
stream valleys. 

About lOor 12 miles from the 
coast a line of small islands has 
been formed from the white 
divide between the Tennessee and lalla- sand washed up by the waves and tides and 
hatchie river basins. The greatest altitude is still further elevated by the action ot the 
625 feet near Holly Springs. winds. 

Central Prairie Belt. — South of the North The Mississippi Flood Plain. — Along the 

Central Upland is a belt of land known as west side of the state the Mississippi River 
the Central Prairie, which e.\tends across has cut a trench 30 to 80 miles wide and 
the state into Alabama. Its surface is more hundreds of feet deep, which it is now engaged 
rolling than that of the Northeast Prairie in tilling up. This trench, known as the 
and consists largely of sandy ridges. In alluvial valley or flood plain, is bounded on 
the depressions between the ridges, the marly the east by steep bluffs 100 to 300 feet high, 
soil is very fertile and easily cultivated. The main channel of the river leaves the east 

Long Leaf Pine Hills. — The extensive bluflP at Memphis, Tennessee, and crosses the 
region known as the Long Leaf Pine Hills valley to the west side at Helena, Arkansas. It 
lies south of the Central Prairie. It consists runs near the west bluff as far as the Arkansas- 
of formations of sandstone, clays, and broad Louisiana state line, and then crosses again, 
deposits of orange sand. The highest eleva- striking the east blufl^ at Vicksburg. It then 
tions are more than 500 feet above the sea follows the east bluff closely to the Mississippi- 
level, and in some places the hills rise 200 Louisiana line. Since the state is bounded 
feet above the larger streams, which flow in on the west by the river, it includes a large 
narrow valleys. Steep clifl^s of sandstone part of the widest portion of the flood plain 
outcrop along the hillsides in the northwestern above Vicksburg, known as the Yazoo Basin 
part of this region. The most extensive or Delta, while below Vicksburg most of the 
forests in the state are found here, the prin- flood plain belongs to Louisiana. The con- 
cipal growth being long leaf pine, which trast between the flood plain and the uplands 
extends northward from the coast for 150 at the top of the blufl^ is everywhere strongly 
miles. The soils on the hill tops are not marked. 

fertile and are used mostly for pasture. The Yazoo Basin.— Throughout the course 

The valleys, however, are productive and of the lower Mississippi, it is the habit of the 
are generally cultivated. Turpentine, resin, river to flow near one side of its flood plain, 



V111 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 





.^ 



Coast Belt. Orange grove at Ocean Springs 



Oyster wharves and cannery, Biloxi 



while a large side channel or bayou follows 
the foot of the bluff on the opposite side. 
This bayou naturally leads from the main 
river channel and receives all the tributaries 
on that side, delivering the accumulated 
waters mto the main stream at the point 
below where the two again unite. The 
Yazoo Basin is the largest and richest of these 
divisions of the Mississippi Flood Plain. This 
basin, popularly known as the Yazoo Delta, 
is in no sense a delta formation. 

The Yazoo Basin comprises about 7,000 square 
miles of the best farming lands of the world. 
Its surface is nearly level, but has a general slope 
southward and locally gentler slopes away from 
the stream banks. It is traversed by a network 
of waterways which inclose islands of all shapes 
and sizes. The surface of each island is higher 
near the margin than in the interior, which is 
usually swampy and wooded. The soil deposited 
by repeated overflows of the river Is a black, sandy 
loam, easily cultivated and of Inexhaustible 
fertility. Buildings and crops are protected 
from destructive floods by artificial levees which 
extend along the main waterways. 

The Mississippi River Bluffs. — The eastern 
edge of the Mississippi Flood Plain is bordered 
by a line of bluffs which are almost as differ- 
ent from the uplands in the east as from 
the lowlands on the west. The edge of the 
upland was cut away in ages past by the 



river, and later it was covered by deposits of 
fine, hmy silt, called loess, which was blown 
up by the westerly winds from the dry mud 
flats of the flood plain. 

These deposits occurred during the glacial 
epoch when the river drained the great ice sheet 
and carried sediment somewhat difl^erent from its 
present load. Loess is easily eroded, yet may 
stand up in high, steep banks. Hence the little 
streams which flow down the bluff have cut deep 
narrow gorges .sometimes called " guts." These 
extend back into the upland far enough to form 
a belt of rough country a few miles wide, dis- 
tinguished by its loess soil and dissected surface. 

Questions and Exercises. — i. Name eight 
physical divisions of the Coastal Plain. 2. De- 
scribe the region included in the Tennessee River 
Hills. 3. What kind of soil is found in the 
Northeast Timber Belt ? 4. Describe the Black 
Prairie Belt. 5. What is the character of the 
Pontotoc Divide ? 6. Where are the Flatwoods r 
7. Where are the Short Leaf Pine Hills ? S. De- 
scribe the surface and soil of the Central Prairie 
Belt. 9. What is said of the soil in the Long 
Leaf Pine Hills ? 10. What are the products 
from the timber belt? 11. Where is the Coast 
Belt.' 12. Describe the Mississippi Flood Plain. 
13. Describe the Yazoo Basin. 14. Where are 
the Mississippi River Bluffs ? 

DRAINAGE 

The Mississippi System. — About one half 
of the state is drained by the tributaries of the 



GEOCJRAinn OK MLSSISSIPIM 



IX 




Mississippi. In the north the I 
Tallahatchie and \ alobusha 
rivers and many smaller streams 
drain the upland from the Pon- 
totoc divide into the ^ azof) 
River. The Yazoo and all the 
other large streams of the flood 
plain originally had their sources 
in the main Mississippi, from 
which they received more or 
less water, according to the high 
or low stage of the river. Most 
of them have been closed at the 
head by a levee. The drainage 
system of the flood plain is partly under arti- 
ficial control. The mam ri\er is constantly 
shifting its channel, and occasionally cuts oft 
a big bend, as it did at Vicksburg in 1876. 
In such a case, the oxbow left at one side be- 
comes a lake which gradually fills up. At 
Vicksburg this is prevented by a canal which 
diverts the Yazoo into the abandoned chan- 
nel. The Big Black River drains the central 
part of the state directly to the Mississippi, 
which it joins about twenty-five miles below 
Vicksburg. 

Rivers of the Gulf Plain. — The iombigbee 
River flows south through Mississippi and .Ala- 
bama into Mobile Bay, and the Pearl River 
flows southward through the middleof the state 
into Mississippi Sound. 1 he rivers ot the Gulf 
Plain do not unite into broad systems, but tend 



r* ^t 




Escatawpa River, near Pascagoula 




Mississippi River steamers at Vicksburg 



to flow parallel to each other, each to its 
separate mouth. The interval between the 
IDmbigbee and Pearl rivers is drained by 
the Pascagoula, and that between the Pearl 
and the Mississippi by many small streams. 

Rivers of the Cumberland Plateau. — From the 
high land in the northeast, several short 
streams flow northeastward into the Tennessee 
River. 

Questions and Exercises. — 1. In what drainage 
basin Is iihout h;ilf of Mississippi ? 2. What trib- 
utary of the Mississippi drains the central part of 
the state? 3. What minor drainage basins are 
there in the state ? 4. Name the rivers of the 
Gulf Plain. 5. Describe the general character 
of these streams. 6. Describe the course of the 
Pearl River. 

CLIMATE 

The state lies in what is called the semi- 
tropical climate belt. On account of its 
position south of the 35th parallel, its moder- 
ate elevation, and its nearness to the Gulf 
of Mexico, the climate is mild. During the 
winter months the difference of temperature 
between the northern uplands and the south- 
ern coast is marked, but in summer a more 
nearly uniform temperature prevails through- 
out the state. The monthly average at dif- 
ferent stations \aries from 41 degrees to 
52 degrees in January, and from 79 degrees 
to 82 degrees in July. For the whole state 
it is 46.6 degrees in January and 80.9 degrees 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 




Mean annual temperature for January 




Mean annual temperature for July 




Mean annual rainfall in Mississippi 



in July. The absolute extreme temperatures 
recorded in the state are: 15 degrees at 
Aberdeen and 107 at several places. 

The northern half of the state enjoys an 
average grooving period of seven months 
between killing frosts, while on the Gulf 
coast the growing period is nine months. 

The annual rainfall ranges from 48 to 58 
inches. The heaviest rains occur in the late 
winter or early spring, when the warm gulf 
breezes meet the cold north winds. 
I Thunderstorms occur in all months of the 
year but are most frequent in July and 
August. Severe storms from the Gulf some- 
times cross the state, but not every jear. 
Tornadoes are likely to occur in February 
and March. The average wind velocity 
for the whole year is seven miles per hour. 

Questions and Exercises. — I. What condi- 
tions cause a mild climate in Mississippi .? 

2. What is the average temperature for the whole 
state in January and July respectively .'' 

3. What is the length of the growing period in the 
northern half of the state ? On the Gulf coast ? 

4. What is said of the rainfall ? 5. What is the 
average wind velocity ? 



PLANTS AND ANIMALS 

Plants. — The mild climate and abundant 
rainfall of Mississippi place it in the natural 
region of temperate rain and summer forests. 
There were 32,000 square miles of timbered 
land in the state in 1900. The mixed forests 
of deciduous trees and broad-leaved ever- 
greens characteristic of such a climate pre- 
vail only in the Coast Belt. Over most of 
the uplands the sandy soil seems to be unfa- 
vorable for such growth and it is displaced 
by coniferous forests, chiefly of long leaf 
pine. The limestone soils are generally 
prairie. The old lands in the northeast are 
covered with the dense forest characteristic 
of the Appalachian Plateau. Large timber 
trees are abundant and of great variety : the 
live oak and magnolia near the coast, the 
long leaf pine in the southern third of the 
state, the short leaf pine and many species 
of oak in the north, and the cypress, cotton- 
wood, gum, and pecan on the alluvial bottoms. 
The holly, sassafras, persimmon, wild cherry, 
Chickasaw plum, grape, lime, and pawpaw 
are widely distributed. 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 



XI 



Animals. — The larger species of 
wild animals, deer, bears, wolves, 
and wild cats, have been nearly or 
quite exterminated and only the 
smaller game, squirrels, opossums, 
raccoons, rabbits, turkeys, quails, 
geese, and ducks, remain. These, 
however, are generally abundant. 
There are alligators in the river bot- 
toms as far north as the mouth of 
the Arkansas, and rattlesnakes on 
the uplands. Among the hundreds 
of species of land buds, the mocking 
bird, cardinal, whippoorwill, and 
parrakeet are notable. The streams 
swarm with such Hsh as buffalo fish, 
catfish, crappie, bass, pike, perch, 
suckers, and eels. Prom the waters 
of the Sound oysters, crabs, shrimps, trout, 
mackerel, sheepshead, mullet, bluefish, floun- 
ders, and sea bass are taken. 

Questions and Exercises. — i. How much of 
Mississippi was wooilland in 1900? 2. What 
forests are characteristic of the Coast Belt ? Of 
the Uplands,' 3. What trees valuable for lum- 
ber are found in the state .' 4. What other 
trees are widely distributed ? 5. What wild 
animals were once to be found in Mississippi ? 

6. What smaller game are still abundant ? 

7. Name some birds and fish found in this state. 

AGRICULTURE 




Mississippi is, and has been from the begin- 
ning, an agricultural state. More than three 
fifths of its entire land area is in farms. The 
average value of the farm land in 1910 was 
$13.69 per acre. The total value of the farm 
property, according to the United States 
Census for that year, was almost $426,3 1 5,000. 
This was more than twice its value at the 
time of the preceding census, ten years before. 

In the days before the Civil War most of the 
farming in Mississippi was done on large planta- 
tions. In 1850 the average size of the farm, or 
plantation, was a little over 308 acres, according 
to the United States Census of that year. This 
meant that while there were some small farms, 



lliere were many large plantations ot lOOO acres 
or more. From year to year since that time there 
has been a ilecrease in the average farm acreage, 
and during the past forty years the farms have 
been gradually divided into smaller and smaller 
parcels of land until they have reached their 
present size. There are still, however, nearly 
Kooo plantations in the state. The plantation 
system is probably more firmly fixed in the ^'azoo 
Delta than in any other area of the South. This 
is due to the fertile soil and the climatic conditions, 
which are favorable for cotton raising, together 
with the large negro population available for 
cultivating and picking the cotton. 

Crops. — Cotton is the leading agricultural 
product of the state. The value of the cotton 
raised each year is nearly two thirds that of 
all the crops raised. An average of more than 
3,000.000 acres of Mississippi farm land is 
planted to cotton each year, with an average 
annual product of more than 1,000,000 bales, 
or an annual yield of about 147 pounds per 
acre. Out of every 100 farms, 84 raise cotton. 

The largest acreage of cotton is found in the 
alluvial bottoms of the Yazoo Delta. This is one 
of the greatest cotton-producing regions of the 
world. The section includes fourteen counties, 
and these counties combined produce about a 
third of the total cotton crop of the state. Some 
cotton is grown, however, in every county. In 



XII 



GEOGRAPHY' OF MISSISSIPPI 




1910 Yazoo County had the largest acreage in 
cotton and Bohvar was the leading county in the 
size of the cotton crop. Mississippi cotton is of 
several varieties, differing both ni kind and value. 
Much of it is long staple cotton of an excellent 
quality. The cotton seed, after being separated 
from the fiber, is used in various ways. The 
cottonseed had a value of nearly ?;27,ooo,ooo in 
1919. 

Next in importance to cotton are the 
cereals. More than 95 per cent of the total 
acreage and total value of the cereal crop is 
in corn. The corn raised in Mississippi has 
an annual value of about $100,000,000. It 
is grown in every county in the state, but the 
size of the yield varies much in the several 
localities, because of the differences in soil 
conditions. 

A number of Corn Club boys hold records of 
200 bushels per acre. The average production per 
acre for the state is of course far below this record. 



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The leading county in corn production in 1910 
was Yazoo; the largest increase in production 
between 1900 and 1910 was in Sunflower County. 
In quality, Mississippi corn ranks very high. 

Of the other cereal crops, only oats are 
worthy of special mention, their annual value 
being about $6,000,000. The growing of oats 
is coming much into favor in some localities 
of the state and there is large acreage of oats 
on the Coastal Plain south and southeast of 
the Big Black River. 

Hay and forage rank next in importance. 
The total value of the various crops classed 
under this head was more than $13,000,000 
in 1919, according to report of the United 
States Department of Agriculture. 

Of this the largest values were given to " wild, 
salt, or prairie grasses," " grains cut green," and 
" other tame or cultivated grasses." Hay and 
forage are raised in every county of the state, and 
the acreage is quite generally distributed. Some 
alfalfa is grown, and some clover, either alone 
or mixed with timothy. Other grains and seeds 
include dried peas, peanuts, and beans. 



A farm tractor 



Mississippi is a great sweet potato state. 
In 1919 it ranked as the fifth state of the 
Union in the value of the sweet potatoes 
and yams grown. The principal acreage of 
sweet potatoes and yams was in the southern 
and southwestern counties. The total value 
of the 1919 crop was about $11,600,000. 
The value of the white potatoes raised in the 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 



XIII 



state is about one fourth that of the sweet 
potatoes. 

Kvery vegetable known can be made to grow 
in Mississippi, and the vegetables of various kinds 
bring much wealth to the state. Truck farming 
has become a highly specialized industry- The 
tomato flourishes, anil green beans, peas, radishes, 
asparagus, cabbages, cauliflower, lettuce, carrots, 
onions, peppers, beets, and turnips, as well as 
quantities of watermelons and cantaloupes, arc 
shipped from the state to northern markets. 



Mississippi is also a great small-fruit state. 
Strawberries are by far the most important 
of the small fruits. The value of the straw- 
berry crop is about $1,500,000 a jear. Many 
blackberries and dewberries are raised, and 
some raspberries and lop;anberries. 




The production of orchard fruits has been 
largely on the increase since 1900. Peaches 
and nectarines are first in value. Apples 
come next, and many pears, plums, and 
cherries are grown, as well as some grapes. 
Of tropical fruits, figs are the only ones 
largely raised, but these are a valuable crop. 
Nuts, especially pecans, bring considerable 
wealth to the state. 

Sugar cane to the value of about $1,500,000 
a year is raised. A large proportion of the 
cane is made into sirup. 

Live Stock. — The total value of live stock 
in Mississippi in 1920 amounted to about 
$170,000,000. The largest value, $78,000,000, 




was in horses and mules. Mules are to be 
found on more than half the farms in Missis- 
sippi. There are about two fifths as many 
horses as mules, and their value is little more 
than half that of the mules. 

Cattle valued at $52,000,000, principally 
dairy- cows, are kept on three fourths of the 
farms. The dairy statistics for 1910 reported 
nearly 80,000,000 gallons of milk for the 
state, and about 29,000,000 pounds of butter 
made. 

Hogs are raised on farms in all sections of 
the state, and they are a very profitable 
accompaniment to cattle, especially dairy 
cows. Their value in 1920 was about 
$35,000,000. Sheep are raised profitably in 




XIV 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 



I 


\m 


Horses on a Delta plantation 



some localities. Besides the value of mutton 
and lamb, 656,000 pounds of wool were 
obtained in 1919. 

There are in Mississippi more than 4,000,- 
000 chickens which produce yearly about 
18,000,000 dozen of eggs. Geese, guinea 
fowls, turkeys, ducks, and some pigeons are 
also raised. Bee keeping also yields substan- 
tial returns from the sale of honey. 

Questions and Exercises. — i. Whj^ is Missis- 
sippi an agricultural state .? 2. How much of 
the area is included in farms.'' 3. What is said 
of the average size of the farms .? 4. Where is 
the plantation system more firmly fixed ? Why ? 

5. What is the leading agricultural product ? 

6. What is the average annual yield in bales for 
the state ? 7. What was the value of the 
cottonseed in 1919? 8. What crop is next in 
importance ? 9. What is the annual value of 
the corn raised in Mississippi .' 10. A number 
of Corn Club boys show a record of how many 
bushels per acre? 11. What other cereal crop 
is worthy of mention ? 12. What hay and for- 
age crops are grown ? 13. What is said of the 
sweet potato crop in Mississippi ? 14. What 
vegetables can be grown in the state .' 

15. What varieties of berries are found here? 

16. What is said of the production of orchard 
fruits ? 17. What is the value of the sugar 
cane raised ? 18. What was the total value of 
live stock in Mississippi in 1920? 19. What is 
the value of the horses and mules in the state ? 

20. What is said of cattle and dairy products ? 

21. What was the value of hogs raised in this 
state in 1920 ? 



MINERALS 

Mining and the mineral productions in 
Mississippi are of minor importance, as com- 
pared with agriculture. The leading mineral 
industries deal with clay, principally with the 
making of brick and tile. The brick and tile 
manufactured in the state in 1916 had a 
value of about ^$52 1,000. A small amount 
of clay is made into pottery. 

There are fine deposits of gravel in the timber 
belt in the northeastern part of the state, and other 
gravel beds are to be found east of the Yazoo 
Delta and west of Pearl River. Next to the clay 
products, digging out gravel is the leading mineral 
industry. The gravel is used as ballast for rail- 
roads and street paving. The gravel obtained 
in 1916 amounted to about ?i9i,ooo in value. 

Mineral waters are obtained in several localities, 
principally in Madison, Copiah, Holmes, Hinds, 
Jasper, and Choctaw counties. There are health 
resorts maintained in the vicinity of some of the 
springs, and about 400,000 gallons of mineral 
waters are sold annually for medicinal purposes 
and table use. 

Questions and Exercises. — i. What are the 
leading mineral industries in Mississippi ? 
2. Name the principal clay products. 3. What 
is said of the gravel deposits ? 4. For what 
purposes is gravel utilized ? 5. In what counties 
are mineral waters obtained ? 6. For what are 
some of these springs noted ? 7. What is the 
extent of the annual sales of mineral waters ? 




Cotton compress 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 



XV 




Sawmill plant at Laurel, including : 



piiining mill, and ioiiLiiiig sm 



MANUFACTURING 

Mississippi ranks as an agricultural rather 
than a manufacturinji state, ^'et the lumher 
and timber products alone, in which it ranked 
as the fourth state of the Union in 191 7, 
render its manufacturing interests of impor- 
tance. The total value of the manufactured 
products of the state in 1914 amounted to a 
little under J^8o,ooo,ooo, or somewhat less 
than half the value of the farm crops. .About 
half this value was in manufactured lumber 
and the allied wood industries. 

The state has few of the natural advantages 
which foster the growth of in.inufactures. It has 
no important harbor, little water power, and few 
mineral resources. Mississippi is fortunate, how- 
ever, in having fertile cotton lands and extensive 
forests. Ihe beginnings of manufacturing date 
back to the early years of the nineteenth century. 
In iSio there were 22 cotton factories and 10 
tanneries. In the middle years of the century 
manufacturing was largely at a standstill, but 
with iSSo there began a period of steady growth 
which IS still under wav. 

The manufacture of lumber is one of the oldest 
industries in the state, and it has increased steadily 
in importance from year to year. In 1890 the 
value of the liunber. and timber products was a 
little over y5,ooo,ooo; in 1914 it was about ^38,- 
538,000. The cut of lumber for 1917 was 2,425,- 
000,000 board feet. More than half of this was 
yellow pine, the rest being largely oak, cotton- 
wood, and tupelo, with some cypress, elm, ash, 
hickory, and yellow poplar. 

The industry second in importance is the man- 
ufacture of cottonseed oil and cake, which is the 
leading manufacture in Meridian, Jackson, Green- 
ville, Columbus, and Natchez. The first mill in 



the United States was erected at Natchez in 1834. 
Before 189c this industry was of little value to 
the state. Its growth is especially interesting be- 
cause it is based on what was at one time largelj 
waste. The annual value of cottonseed products 
is now about ^3 2,000,000. 

Repair work and construction of steam railroad 
cars and locomotives was the industry third in 
importance in 1914. In the 15 railroad shops 
of the state there were repairs and construction 
to the value of a little less than ^4, 000,000. 

The fourth industry is the manufacture of 
cotton goods, a large proportion of which consist 
of unbleached sheetings, shirtings, and muslins. 
The principal material used is domestic cotton. 
The value of cotton goods manufactured in 1914 
was a little under ^3 ,000,000. 

Fertilizer is the product next in value, more 
than 150,000 tons being manufactured in 1914. 
Turpentine and rosin are next in rank. The prod- 
ucts for 1914 were valued at nearly ^2,000,000. 

Other manufactures of Mississippi include 
canned goods, preserved wood, printed matter, 
mineral waters, and various food products. 




XVI 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 




Questions and Exercises. — I. To what is the 
importance of manufacturing interests in Missis- 
sippi due ? 2. What was the total value of the 
manufactured products of the state in 1914? 
3. Why has there been little growth of manu- 
factures? 4. Discuss the manufacture of lumber 
in the state. 5. What varieties of timber prod- 
ucts are there .? 6. What manufacturing in- 
dustry ranks second in importance ? 7. What 
is the annual value of the cottonseed products ? 

8. What industry ranks third in importance.' 

9. Of what does the manufacture of cotton 
goods consist ? 10. Name other manufactures 
of Mississippi. 

FORESTS AND LUMBERING 

There were 32,000 square miles of timbered 
lands in Mississippi in 1900. There are still 
luxuriant forests, though the woods suitable 
for manufacturing purposes are 
being fast cut off. More than 
120 species of forest trees are 
to be found in the state, most 
of them deciduous. There are 
fifteen species of oak, including 
the live oak. On the bottom 
and swamp lands, cypress pre- 
dominates. The long leaf pine 
flourishes in the southern half 
of the state. Other important 
varieties of forest trees are the 
tupelo, sycamore, persimmon, 



magnolia, holly, cucumber, sweet gum, black 
walnut, maple, hickory, and elm. 

In 191 7 the lumber cut amounted to about 
2,425,000,000 feet. It is estimated that the wood 
used as firewood in that year, on 285,000 farms, 
amounted to 4,560,000 cords, valued at ?io,- 
488,000. Only within recent years has the timber 
product been important. 

The production of rough lumber increased from 
1,206,265,000 feet in 1899 to about 2,573,000,000 
in 1909. Of the cut in the latter year, more than 
four fifths was yellow pine. The other leading 
varieties sawed, in the order of their importance, 
were oak, gum, Cottonwood, cypress, poplar, 
hickory, ash, tupelo, and elm. Of the oak, a 
little more than 168,500,000 feet were cut. 

Questions and Exercises. — i. How much of 

Mississippi was timbered in 1900? 2. How 
many species of forest trees are there.? How 
many of oak.? 3. Where is the long leaf pine 
region ? 4. Name other important varieties of 
forest trees. 5. What was the extent of the 
lumber product in 1917? 6. Discuss the pro- 
duction of rough lumber. 

FISHERIES 

The fishing industry of this state is con- 
fined largely to Mississippi Sound and the 
neighboring waters, and to the Mississippi 
and Yazoo rivers. The most valuable prod- 
ucts are oysters and shrimps. The shrimp 
industry is especially important, the catch 
in 1916 amounting to nearly 8,900,000 
pounds, valued at more than }?i 57,000. 
Mississippi ranks as the third state of the 
Union in shrimp fishing. 




GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 



XVIl 



Most of the shrimps are caught with haul 
seines. Schooners about 40 feet long carry the 
fishermen to the fishing grounds and the catch to 
the factory. In operating the seine a motorboar 
and a rowboat are used. 1 he seines are often 
more than 200 feet long. ihe shrimp catching 
season extends from March or April until i)i- 
cember. 

A large proportion of the shrimps obtained are 
canned, Biloxi being the principal center for the 
shrimp canning industry. The canning process 
is simple. The meat is separated by hand from 
the heads and shells. It is washed in fresh water, 
then cooked for 5 or 10 minutes in wooden tanks 
of boiling water to which sufficient salt for season- 
ing has been added. The meat is then spread on 
wire meshed trays to cool, and is packed in the 
cans by hand. For the dry pack, the cans are 
lined with a parchment paper which prevents 
discoloration. For the wet pack the cans are 
filled with brine. .After capping they are heated 
in steam-tight retorts. 

There are two government fish culture stations 
in the state. At the Tupelo station, in 1919, 
there were black bass, crapplc, sunfish, and wide- 
mouth bass. rhe Friars Point station was a col- 
lecting center for rescued fishes. Saving food 
fishes from the ponds, pools, and bayous in over- 
flowed districts is a part of the work of the fish 
culture bureau. The fish that would otherwise 
perish when the shallow pomls in which they live 
become dry or frozen, are replanted in adjacent 
waters. 

Questions and Exercises, -i. Where are im- 
portant fishing industries located in Mississippi ? 

2. What are the most valuable products ? 

3. Discuss shrimp fishing. 4. What city is the 



principal center of the shrimp industry 



. ? 



De 



scribe the canning process. 6. Where are the 
government fish culture stations ? 7. Of what 
does the work of the fish culture bureau consist ? 

TRANSPORTATION 

The Mississippi River, along the entire 
western border of the state, is navigable for 
steamboats, and access to the port of New 
Orleans by means of this river places the 
state in a favorable position for domestic and 
foreign shipments. The Yazoo, Tallahatchie, 
Yalobusha, Sunflower, Big Black, Pascagoula, 
and Pearl rivers are navigable to some extent. 



' 


> 


7 

'Mm 


■ r \\ „ 







Loading lumber on steamer al Gullp^il 



Mississippi Sound, which borders the state on 
the .south, affords safe navigation for coasting 
vessels. Ship Island, in this Sound, has one 
of the best harbors on the Gulf coast. A 
canal 3CXD feet wide and 19 feet deep at low 
water, from Gulfport to Ship Island, was 
completed in 1906, and there is a large an- 
chorage basin at Gulfport. 

The first steam railway in the state was com- 
pleted in 1S40, from Vicksburg to Clinton. In 
i860 there were 862 miles of road. By 1 900 this 
had increased to nearly 3000 miles, and in 1916 
the mileage was 4421. Important railways in 
or passing through the state include the Illinois 
Central ; Yazoo and Mississippi Valley ; Vicks- 
burg. Shreveport and Pacific; St. Louis-San 
Francisco; Southern; Sardis and Delta; Pearl 
River X'alley; New Orleans and Northeastern; 
New Orleans Great Northern ; Natchez, Columbia 
and Mobile; and Mobile and Ohio. Each of these 
has more than 100 miles of road in the state. 

In 191 8 there were 150 miles of electric railways 
in Mississippi. The availability of gravel and 
sand suitable for road building is stimulating 
interest in the making of good surface roadways. 

Questions and Exercises. — i. What waters 
and harbors in Mississippi afford navigation for 
coasting vessels ? 2. What rivers are partially 
navigable? 3. Where was the first steam railway 
in the state ? 4. What was the railway mileage 
in 1916? 5. Name important railways passing 
through the state. 6. What has caused an im- 
provement in the surface roadways ? 



X\lll 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 




GOVERNMENT 

The government of Mississippi is conducted 
under the constitution adopted November i, 
1890. The branch of the government that 
makes the laws for the state is divided into 
two bodies, or houses : one of these is known 
as the House of Representatives, or lower 
house, the other as the Senate, or upper house. 
Senators and representatives are elected for 
four years. The constitution requires that 
the legislature meet at the capitol, Jackson, in 
regular session every two years, on Tuesday 
after the first Monday in January, and in 
called session when the governor demands it. 

The chief executive officer of the state is the 
governor. He is elected by the people for four 
years. It is his duty to safeguard the interests 
of the state and to see that the laws are obeyed. 
He is commander in chief 
of the state militia. The 
executive department also 
includes a lieutenant gov- 
ernor, a secretary of state, 
a treasurer, an auditor of 
public accounts, an attorney 
general, and a state superin- 
tendent of education. 

The judicial department 
comprises a supreme court, 
circuit courts, chancery 
courts, and courts of the 
justices of the peace. There 
are also other inferior courts 



ment .' 




The Lyceum, University of Mississippi 



established by the state legislature 
under authority granted in the 
state constitution. 

Mississippi contains eighty-two 
counties. It has two senators and 
eight representatives in Congress, 
and therefore has ten votes in the 
electoral college. 

Questions and Exercises. — 

1. When was the present consti- 
tution of Mississippi adopted ? 

2. What are the three depaitments 
of state government .? 3. Of what 
does the legislative department 
consist ? 4. When does the legis- 
lature meet .? 5. What officers 
constitute the executive depart- 

6. Of what does the judicial department 
consist.' 7. How many counties has Mississippi .' 
How many senators and representatives in 
Congress ? 

EDUCATION 

Mississippi has a- well-organized school 
system, under charge of the department of 
public education. At the head of the system 
is the state superintendent of public educa- 
tion, who holds his office for four j-ears. 
There is a superintendent for each county 
also, with a term of service of four years. 

The laws of the state require that a public 
school shall be maintained for each school 
district during at least four months each year. 
In many localities the schools have been con- 
solidated, the pupils being carried to and from 
their homes in school wagons. County agri- 
cultural high schools are 
in operation in all sections 
of the state. 

The schools are sup- 
ported by the common 
school fund appropriated 
by the state legislature, 
together with the returns 
from special ta.\es and the 
income from the school 
lands. Separate schools 
are maintained for white 
and for colored children. 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 



XI. \ 



The State Normal College for training teachers 
is located at Hattiesburg; the Mississippi Agri- 
cultural and Mechanical College is at Agricultural 
College, near Starkville; and the University of 
Mississippi is at University, near Oxford. The 
Mississippi State College for Women is at Colum- 
bus, and Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical 
College for negroes is at Rodney. 

Other institutions carried on by other than 
public maintenance include Meridian College at 
Meridian, Grenada Ct)llege at Cirenada, Hillman 
College at Clinton, Millsaps College at Jackson, 
Blue Mountain College at Blue Mountain, Whit- 
worth College at Brookhaven, and Woman's 
Baptist College at Hattiesburg. 

There are eight junior colleges and nine acad- 
emies in the state. The state has fourteen 
private and denoniinarional schools for negroes. 




Questions and Exercises. — i. Under whose 
direction are the public schools of Mississippi ? 
2. How are these schools supported ? 3. Name 
the five state-supported higher educational insti- 
tutions. 4. Name the private and denomi- 
national institutions. 5. What has been done 
for the education of the negro in this state ? 

POPULATION AND CITIES 

"The population of Mississippi in 1800 was 
less than 8000. In 1850 the population was 
more than seventy-five 
times as great as in 
1800. Since 1850 the 
rate of increase has 
been much smaller, but 
in 1920 the population 
was 1,789,182, three 
times as great as m 
1850. The average 




number of persons to the square mile in 1920 
was 38.1. In 1920, 13 per cent of the popu- 
lation were living in 30 cities of 2500 inhab- 
itants and 87 per cent in rural districts. 
I here were nine cities of over 10,000 inhabit- 
ants, and Meridian and Jackson each had 
more than 20,000. Of the white people 1.2 
per cent were foreign born in 1910, and of 
the total population 56.2 per cent were negro. 
The census returns of 1920, so far as an- 
nounced (before September, 1920), show few 
great changes from 1910. 

Meridian. — Ihe county seat of Lauderdale 
County is the largest city of Mississippi. It 
is a great cotton market and the most impor- 
tant manufacturing center of the state. It 
has a large wholesale trade. The principal in- 
dustry is the manufacture of cottonseed oil 
and cake. Other industries include the re- 
pairing of railroad cars and locomotives, the 
making of furniture, sashes, blinds, and 
foundry products. In 1914 the manufactures 
of Meridian were valued at about $4,739,000. 

The city was laid out in 1854 at a proposed 
railway crossing. It was incorporated six years 




XX 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 




later. In 1864 General William Tecumseh Sher- 
man with 20,000 men marched from Vicksburg 
to Meridian, which was at the time an important 
railway center and storehouse of Confederate 
supplies. Within a week nearly everything in 
Meridian except the private houses had been 
destroyed, and more than a hundred miles of rail- 
way track had been torn up. In 1906 a tornado 
caused much destruction of life and property in 
the city. 

Meridian is located on the Southern, the Me- 
ridian and Memphis, the Mobile and Ohio, and 
the Alabama and Vicksburg railroads. In 1920 
the city had a population of 23,436. It is the seat 
of the Meridian Female College and the Meridian 
Male College; also of the Meridian Academy and 
the Lincoln School tor colored students. 

Jackson, the capital of the state and the 
count}' seat of Hinds County, is located on 
the west bank of Pearl River, about 40 miles 
east of Vicksburg. The population in 1920 
was 22,679. 1 ^"^ present state capitol, com- 
pleted in 1903, cost one million dollars and is 
among the handsomest state buildings in the 
Union. In the old capitol, built in 1839, was 
held the Secessional Convention of 1861 and 
within its walls JefFerson Davis made his last 
speech. 

Jackson was designated as the seat of govern- 
ment in 1822, and the first state legislature was 
held there in that year. It was incorporated as a 
city in 1840. During the Civil War it was an 
important campaign center. In 1863 the city, 
then held by General Johnston, was attacked by 



Grant's army, and the Confederates were driven 
out. Later General Johnston concentrated his 
troops in the city, which had then been evacuated 
by the Federal troops, and Sherman bombarded 
it. Johnston withdrew his men and Sherman's 
army entered, burning part of the city and ravag- 
ing the country round about. 

Jackson is in the midst of a cotton-growing 
section, and has a considerable trade and valuable 
manufactures. The leading manufacturing in- 
dustry is the making of cottonseed oil and cake. 
Besides its large cotton mills, the city has iron 
foundries, woodworking shops, and other manu- 
facturing plants. Millsaps College and Bellhaven 
College for young women are located here. The 
city is the seat of state institutions for the deaf, 
dumb, blind, and insane. It is served by the 
New Orleans Great Northern, the Yazoo and 
Mississippi Valley, the Alabama and Vicksburg, 
and the Gulf and Ship Island railroads. 

Vicksburg, on the Yazoo and Mississippi 
rivers, is attractively situated among the 
Walnut Hills which rise about 260 feet above 
the river. It is the county seat of Warren 
County, and is an important river port and 
railroad center. The city has various manu- 
facturing industries, especially the repair and 
building of railroad locomotives and cars, 
and the making of cottonseed oil and cake. 
Among the principal buildings are the court- 
house, a federal building, and the city hall. The 
population of Vicksburg was 17,931 in 1920. 

The city was the center of an important cam- 
paign of the Civil War, which had for its object 
the capture of Vicksburg by Federal troops under 
General Grant and General Sherman. The final 




Governor's Mansion, Jackson 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 



XXI 




capture of the city after a long siege, together 
with the defeat of l.ce at Gettysburg, marked the 
turning point of the war. Ihere are at N'icksliurg 
a National Cemetery and a National Military 
Park, the latter comprising 1300 acres restoring 
the battle ground as it was in 1863. 

Hattiesburg, tlic county seat of Forrest 
County, is located at the intersection of the 
New Orleans and Northeastern, Gulf and 
Ship Island, Mississippi Central, and Gult, 
Mobile and Northern railroads. The city is 
situated on the Leaf River in the heart of the 
pine rejiion. It manufactures fertilizers and 
has railroad repair shops. A modern creo- 
sotins plant has recently been completed. 
Hattiesburf; is in a district which is noted for 
cotton growing, grazing, and lumbering. The 
State Normal College and the \\'oman's 
Baptist College are both located in Hatties- 
burg. During the World War it was the site 
of a large encampment for the training of sol- 
diers. The population was 13,270 in 1920. 

Laurel is the county seat of Jones County. 
It IS a commercial and manufacturing city, 
with lumber and timber as its leading prod- 
ucts. The lumber is principally long leaf 
yellow pine, and the Laurel sawmills have a 
capacity of 1,300,000 feet dail\-. Laurel has 
cotton and cottonseed oil mills, compress 
and ginnery, railroad shops, and other manu- 
facturing plants. The cit\- was first settled 



in 1894. Transportation facilities are pro- 
\ ided b\ the Southern, the Gulf and Ship 
Island, and the Gulf, .Mobile and Northern 
railroads. The population was 13,037 in 1920. 
Natchez is a flourishing city on the Missis- 
sippi River and the county seat of Adams 
County. Most of the city is built upon 
a bluff 200 feet above the river. It was 
named from the Natchez Indians, who were 
living in the locality when white people first 
settled the region. The early settlement was 
under French, then under Spanish control, 
and in 1793 it was occupied by L'nited States 
troops. It was chartered as a city in 1803, 
and from 1817 to 1821 it was the capital of 
the state. 

The first bank in the state opened in Natchez 
in 1809. In 1840 a large part of Natchez was de- 
stroyed by a tornado. The city was rebuilt, and at 
the beginning of the Civil War it was a place of 
culture and wealth. In 1S62 it was bombarded 




State Normal College, Hattiesburg 



XXII 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 




by Commodore Porter with the ironclad Essex, 
and the riverfront section was largely destroyed. 
Natchez is the shipping port for a large cotton 
region, and the center of trade for a lumber and 
farming district. It manufactures cottonseed 
oil and cake in large quantities. Other manu- 
factures include lumber, foundry products, and 
canned goods. The city is served by the Yazoo 
and Mississippi Valley, the St. Louis, Iron Moun- 
tain and Southern, the New Orleans and North- 
eastern, and the Mississippi Central railroads. 
It is the seat of Stanton College, Jefferson Military 
College, and other educational institutions. The 
population of Natchez in 1920 was 12,608. 

Greenville, the county seat of Washington 
County, is located on one of the great bends 
of the Mississippi and has steamboat connec- 
tion with various river ports. It is in the 
Yazoo Delta, and its industries deal largely 
with cotton. It has compresses, and manufac- 
tures much cottonseed oil and cake. A large 
part of old Greenville, about a mile from the 
present site, fell into the river, and during the 
Civil War most of the rest of it was burned. 
Greenville is the seat of Furman University. 
The population was 11,560 in 1920. 

Biloxi is located on the Gulf of Mexico, 
65 miles from New Orleans. It has a fine 
beach extending for about twelve miles 
around its peninsula. Its mild, equable 
climate makes it a popular seaside resort 
both in summer and in winter, particularly 
for the people of New Orleans and of Mobile. 
The city is the center of an extensive canning 
industry, including oysters, shrimps, crabs. 



fruits, and vegetables. It has shipyards 
and lumber products of various kinds. The 
first permanent settlement in Mississippi 
was at Biloxi. The population m 1920 was 
10,937. I'^ is served by the Louisville and 
Nashville Railway. 

Columbus, the county seat of Lowndes 
County, is located on the Tombigbee River. 
The river is navigable six months of the year, 
and large quantities of cotton and hardwood 
lumber are shipped from here. The city 
has considerable manufacturing, especially of 
cottonseed oil and cake. It is a marketing 
center for a rich agricultural region. Colum- 
bus was incorporated in 182 1. It is the seat 
of the State College for Women. Columbus 
is on the Southern and the Mobile and Ohio 
railroads. The population was 10,501 in 1920. 

Gulfport, the county seat of Harrison County, 
is an important port on Mississippi Sound. It 
has railroad shops, extensive oyster, shrimp, and 
vegetable canning factories, and sawmills. It is 
served by the Gulf and Ship Island and the 
Louisville and Nashville railroads. Numerous 
manufactures and an immense export lumber trade 
are among its activities. It has a pier which ex- 
tends one mile and a half out to deep water. 

Greenwood is the county- seat of Leflore County. 
It is on the Yazoo River, and is in a cotton-raising 
section. Cotton is shipped, and the Southern and 
the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley railways pass 
through the city. It has numerous manufactures 
and an extensive wholesale trade. 

McComb, in Pike County, is on the Illinois 
Central and the Liberty-White railroads. It is 
located in the midst of a cotton, corn, truck, 




State Cc'llt-gc for Women, Cokiriiliu^ 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 



XXlll 



and cattle-raising district, and it has railroad 
shops and a cotton mill. 

Pascagoula, the county seat of Jackson County, 
is on thi- Pascagoula River, half a mile from the 
Gulf of Mexico. Fish, oysters, arul lumlier are 
shipped from here. It has gristmills, sawmills, 
shipyards, and pulp and paper mills. Nuts, vege- 
tables, and oranges are produced in the surround- 
ing agricultural regions. 

Clarksdale, one of the two county seats of 
Coahjina County, has cottonseed oil mills and 
other manufacturing interests. It is on the Yazoo 
and Mississippi \'allev Railway. 

Yazoo City, the county seat of Yazoo County, 
is on the Yazoo River. It is located in an impor- 
tant cotton-growing section, and has corn-growing 
and lumbering interests. Much cotton is shipped 
in by steambo.ir, and there are cottonseed oil and 
cotton-yarn mills, a compress, sawmills, and furni- 
ture factories. It is on the Illinois Central and 
the Yazoo and Mississippi N'allcy railroads. 

Tupelo, the county seat of Fee County, is in 
an agricultural and cotton-growing region. The 
Mobile and Ohio and the St. Fouis and San 
Francisco railroads pass through it. Tupelo has 
a cotton mill and a fertilizer factory. 

Corinth is the county seat of Alcorn County. 
The city has large iron works and manufactures 
lumber and lumber products. It has clothing 
factories, cotton and cottonseed oil mills, cotton 
gins, and compresses. It is on the .Southern and 
the Illinois Central railways. 

Brookhaven, the county seat of Lincoln County, 
is a cotton-shipping point, and is in a pine forest 
region. It has a compress, cottonseed oil mill, 
and fcrtili::er factory, besides large lumber and 
agricultural interests. It is on the Mississippi 
Central and the Illinois Central railroads. 

West Point, the county seat of Clay County, 
is surrounded by some of Mississippi's most noted 
farming lands. It is known especially as a hay, 
cotton, corn, live stock, and dairy market. West 
Point has an oil mill, cotton factory, grain ele- 
vator, creamery, lumber mill, tile factory, spoke 
factory, and handle factory. 

Aberdeen, the county seat of Monroe County, 
is at the head of navigation on the Tombigbee 
River. It has extensive export trade in cotton, 
cottonseed oil, and feed stuffs, and in cattle, hides, 
wood, lumber, hardware, and machinery. It 
has corn, oil, and planing mills, sawmills, and 
brick, concrete, and clothing factories. 

Water Valley, one of the two county seats of 
Yalobusha County, is in a cotton and truck- 



growing district. It has railroad car and machine 
shops, and plow, sash, door, and twine plants, and 
other manufactories. It is on the Illinois Central. 
Okolona, one of the two county seats of Chick- 
asaw County. IS in a cotton, corn, hay, and lumber- 
producing district. It has some manufacturing. 
It is on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. 

Moss Point, also in Jackson County, is on the 
Pascagoula River, with a seventeen-foot channel 
to the Gulf of Mexico. It has sawmills and 
paper mills, and shipbuilding plants. It is on 
the .'\labama and Mississippi Railroad. Cotton, 
corn, pecans, citrus fruits, and sheep are raised. 

Canton, the county seat of .Madison County, is 
a shipping point in a cotton-growing and stock- 
raising district. It has cottonseed oil mills and 
sawmills. The Illinois Central Railroad passes 
through Canton. 

Bay Saint Louis, the county seat of Hancock 
County, is a popular resort on a bay of the Gulf of 
Mexico, 52 miles from New Orleans. It has oys- 
ter, tish, anti vegetable canneries. The Fouisville 
and Nashville Railroad passes through the city. 

Charleston, one of the two county seats of 
Tallahatchie County, has important cotton- 
growing and lumbering interests. It is on the 
\'azoo and Mississippi Yalley Railway. 

Amory, in Monroe County and on the St. 
Fouis-San Francisco Railway, has lumber mills 
and fertilizer factories. 

Columbia, the county seat of Marion County, 
has an impt)rtant trade in naval stores, staves, 
lumber, and cotton. 

Grenada, the county seat of Grenada County, 
is in the midst of a cotton-growing district. It has 
cottonseed oil mills, compresses, ginneries, and 
sawmills. A Methodist College for girls is located 
here. The Illinois Central and the Yazoo and 
Mississippi railroads pass through Grenada. 

Starkville, the county seat of Oktibbeha 
County, is the seat of the Mississippi Agricultural 
and Mechanical College. It is in a stock-raising 
district, and has cotton and oil mills and a lumber 
yard. It is on the Mobile and Ohio and the 
Illinois Central railroads. 

New Albany, the county seat of Union County, 
has a compress and oil mill, and manufactures 
brick and tile, spokes, handles, and other lumber 
products. 

Picayune, in Pear! River County, has lumber- 
ing, dairying, and truck-growing interests. 

Pass Christian, in Harrison County, is a resort 
on Mississippi Sound. It has shrimp and oyster 
canneries, and is in a grazing and trucking district. 



XXIV 



GEOGRAPHY OF MISSISSIPPI 



Table I. — Area, Population, and Countv Seats of Mississippi Counties 



County 



Area Popvlation 
(Sq. Mi.), 1920 1 



Adams . 
Alcorn 
Amite . 

Attala . . . 

Bi'nton . . . 

Bolivar . . . 

("alhoun . . 

Carroll . . 

Chickasaw 

Choctaw . . 

Claiborne . . 

Clarke . . . 

Clay . . . 

Coahoma . . 

Copiah . . . 

CoWngton . . 

De Soto . . 

Forrest . . . 

Franklin . . 

George . . . 

Greene . . . 

Grenada . . 

Hancock . . 

Harrison . . 

Hinds . . . 

Holmes . . . 
Humphreys 

Issaquena . . 

Itawamba . . 

Jackson . . . 

Jasper . . . 

Jefferson . . 
Jefferson Davis 

Jones . . . 

Kemper . . 

Lafayette . . 

Lamar . . 
Lauderdale 

Lawrence . . 



426 
j86 
714 
715 
396 

879 
579 
624 

SOI 

414 

489 
''75 
408 

530 

769 

410 

475 
462 

547 
475 
710 
442 
469 
57° 
858 

75 1 

408 
406 
529 
710 
667 
507 
404 

696 

752 
664 
495 
700 
4:8 



22,183 

2 1 ,360 
18,960 
24,831 

9,85' 
57.660 
16,823 
20,324 



12,491 

13,019 
17.927 
17,490 

41,511 
28,672 
14,869 

24,359 
21,238 
14,156 
5.564 
10,430 
13.025 
10.380 
32.855 

57,110 

34.513 
19,192 
7.618 
15.647 
19.208 
18,508 
15.946 
12.755 

32,919 

19.591 
19,041 
12,869 
45.897 
12,663 



County Seat 



Natchez 

Corinth 

Liberty 

Kosciusko 

.Ashland 
f Cleveland 
I Rosedale 

Pittsboro 
f CarroUton 
1 V'aicien 
i Houston 
I Okolona 
/ .Ackermau 
I Chester 

Port Gibson 

Quitman 

West Point 
/ Clarksdalc 
1 Friar Point 

Hazelhurst 

Collins 

Hernando 

Hattiesburj; 

Mcadville 

Lucedale 

Leakesville 

Grenada 

Bay Saint Louis 

Gulfport 
/ Jackson 
I Raymond 

Lexington 

Belzoni 

Mayersville 

Fulton 

Pascagoula 

Paulding 

Fayette 

Prentiss 
; EUisville 
I Laurel 

De Kalb 

Oxford 

Purvis 

Meridian 

Monticello 



County 



Leake . . . 

Lee . . . . 
Leflore 

Lincoln . . 
Lowndes . 

Madison . . 

Marion . . 

Marshall . . 

Monroe . . 
Montgomery 

Neshoija . . 
Newton 
Noxubee . 
Oktibbeha 

Panola . . 

Pear] River . 
Perry . . 

Pike . . . 

Pontotoc . . 

Prentiss . . 

Quitman . . 
Rankin 

Scott . . . 

Sharkey . . 

Simpson . . 

Smith . . . 

Stone . . . 
Sunflower 

Tallahatchie 

Tate . . . 

Tippah . . 

Tishomingo . 
Tunica 

Union . . . 

Walthall . . 

Warren . . 

Washington . 
Wayne 

Webster . . 
Wilkinson 

Winston . . 

Yalobusha 

Yazoo . . . 



Area Population 
(Sq. Mi.) 1920 



576 

44S 
572 
578 
499 
725 
624 
689 
770 
39S 
S6l 
568 
6S2 
457 
6g6 

797 
644 
707 
494 
409 
395 
791 
597 
444 
575 
626 
443 
690 

629 

400 
446 
428 
418 
412 

572 
877 
812 
416 
667 
597 
490 
1038 



16,973 
29,618 
37.356 
24.652 
27,632 
29,292 
17.144 
26,105 
32.709 
13.453 
19.303 
20,727 
23,710 
16,872 

27.84s 
15.468 

8.987 
28,725 
19,962 
17,606 
19,861 
20,272 
16,420 
14,190 
18,109 
16,178 

6,528 
46,374 
35.897 
19.616 
1S.419 
iS.OQi 
20,386 
20,044 
13.455 
33.221 
51.092 
1 5. 467 
12,644 

■15,319 
18,139 
18,487 
37.149 



County Seat 



Carthage 

Tupelo 

Greenwood 

Brockhaven 

Columbus 

Canton 

Columbia 

Holly Springs 

Aberdeen 

Winona 

Philadelphia 

Decatur 

Macon 

Starkville 
/ BatcsviUe 
I Sardis 

Poplarville 

New Augusta 

Magnolia 

Pontotoc 

Booneville 

Marks 

Brandon 

Forest 

Rolling Fork 

Mendenhall 

Raleigh 

Wiggins 

Indianola 
/ Charleston 
I Sumner 

Senalobia 

Ripley 

luka 

Tunica 

New Albany 

Tylertown 

Vicksburg 

Greenville 

Waynesboro 

Walthall 

Woodville 

Louisville 
/ Coffeeville 
I Water Valley 

Yazoo City 



Table II. — Value of Leadint, MAXLiArruREs, 
1914 



Table III. — Value of Leading Crops and Live Stock, 
1919 



Manufactures 



Lumber and timber products 

Cottonseed oil and cake 

Railroad cars, construction and repairs 

Cotton goods 

Fertilizers 

Turpentine and rosin 

' Canned and preserved foods .... 

Preserved wood 

Printed matter 

Mineral and soda waters 

Ice 

Bakery pro<lucts 

Foundry and machine shop products . 

Clay products 

Carriages, wagons, etc 

Flour and meal 

Food preparations 

Copper, tin, and sheet-iron work . . 



$38,538,000 

17,600,000 

3,682,000 

2,789,000 

2,060,000 

1.997 000 

1.655,000 

1.479.000 

1.267,000 

1.066,000 

1,045,000 

919,000 

699,000 

513.000 

479.000 

410,000 

201,000 

191,000 



Crops and Aniuals 



Cotton . 
Cottonseed . 

Corn . . . . 

Hay . . . . 
Sweet potatoes 

Oats .. • ■ . 

Cane sirup . . 
Sorghum sirup 

Potatoes . . 

Wheat . . . 

Cowpeas . . 

Peanuts . . . 

Rice . . . . 

rforses . . . 

Mules . . . 

Cattle . . . 

Swine . . . 

Sheep . . . 



Quantity 



Value 



950.907 

421,000 


bale:, 
tons 


59,700.000 

64S.000 


bu. 
tons 


10,200.000 
5,2.S2,000 


bu. 
bu. 


6,675.000 


gal. 


5.100,000 


gal. 


1,530,000 


bu. 


504,000 
160,000 
128,000 

q6,ooo 


bu. 
bu. 
bu. 
bu. 


261,000 




322,000 




1.287,000 
2.396.000 




175,000 





$169,737,000 
26,707.000 
95,520.000 
13.284,000 
11,525,000 
5,546,000 

4,845,000 

2.830.000 

1,260,000 

400.000 

283,000 

182,000 

29.4g3.000 

48,944,000 

52,228,000 

34.742.000 

1,102,000 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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